Always and Forever
by Surwen Morgan
Summary: Sakura and Syaoran were best friends but just as Syaoran discovers his true feelings for Sakura, he is dragged back to Hong Kong on 'family business'. How will things be when he returns? Will Sakura and Syaoran be able to make it out of the woods? R&R x
1. Chapter 1 Blurb of Two Lives

Chapter 1 – Blurb of Two Lives

Chapter 1 – Blurb of Two Lives

Published: Saturday 18th October

**Hi, this is Sayuri. This is my first story and thereby my first chapter on this site. I apologise for any hiccups in the uploading – I just took a look at this website and it looks bloody difficult! – but we must soldier on none the less. I really hope for reviews because it'll give me indicators of how I should continue writing and what things I should include… or you might just hate it and want to tell me to shut up.**

**SS change of time/place within one scene**

**SSS totally different scene**

_**italics **_** thoughts**

**Hope you do enjoy reading if I ever get this thing uploaded, Love Sayuri xxx**

A girl of diminutive stature with long reddish-brown hair, tried back in a long, fat plat that hung over her left shoulder, approached a boy who was sitting facing some bushes on a grassy knoll at the side of their primary school playground. The boy, as it appeared to her, had brown hair that hung on his head like a mop or some particularly shaggy animal and was crouched to the extent that one could almost believe he was guarding something very small from the light of the world. This girl, never being one to be bashful or shy, feeling curiosity at the boy's peculiar image, at once decided that she would satisfy said curiosity. After all, it simply would not do to be pondering it for the rest of the day, especially when she had so many more pressing matters on her six year old mind. Her onii-chan had faithfully promised earlier that week that he absolutely would take her down to the Tomoeda gym, where she was becoming deeply interested in joining a rhythmic gymnastics club.

It had been two weeks previous to her brother's promise that she had been hanging around the entrance to the largest gym in the hanimachi waiting for her illustrious sibling to finish his football practice. As her presence cluttered the reception area, her eye had been drawn to four or so young girls, all dressed in variously coloured leotards, entering a room with petrol blue painted double doors. They had had in their arms, well all manner of things really. One girl, the one with the lavender leotard, had had her arms filled with large coloured balls, another had been loaded up with boxes of ribbons, which had admittedly been looking a little worse for wear.

As always the girl's curiosity had been piqued and she rushed to slip through the heavy door just as it was about to close. Inside she discovered that there were a total of about ten girls and much fewer boys all twirling bright metal stick type things in a manner which to our heroine looked remarkably impressive. The young woman who had been standing at the front of the room, it seemed, had noticed this new intruder and came over with a smile adorning her pretty face.

"Hello, what are you doing here? Did you get lost sweetheart?" the woman had a kind voice and her smile seemed to reach her brown eyes while her red hair swayed around her face as if it were caught in a breeze only it could feel. "My name is Miss Mizuki, what's yours?" she continued to inquire.

"I… I'm erm…"

"OI! Oi, Monster! Get over here!" came a bellow from the door through which she had entered.

"Oh, oh gomenasi. I have to go…"

"Well okay then, you should come back and see us again sometime." The sweet lady bade the small girl.

SS

"Onii-chan?" the girl later piped up while crossing the road and hanging off her brother's hand on the way back to their home. "OOOnnniiiiiiii-cchhhhaaaaannn!" she pressed again, impatiently waiting for a response.

"What is it Kaijou?" he replied in a monotonous voice, clearly not particularly interested in anything his six year old sister could possibly have to say. He being a grown up nine year old, he couldn't possibly be bothering with such trifling matters as the whinings of his little sister, who had become his responsibility recently due to their father's time consuming job.

"What were they doing in that room I was in?" she pressed on, in a voice that demanded answers. She had been slightly ticked off at being removed quite so crassly from the room that had held the smiling Miss Mizuki and the other young children, some of whom she recognised from school. Honestly, her brother was impossible some times.

"How on earth should I know? What did it look like they were doing?" he answered in a rather peeved tone.

"They had sticks." His sister helpfully offered, as if this of course made everything very plain.

"Sticks?" he repeated in a patronising voice. "Well thank you very much for clearing that up. They must have been the stick club. It's an Olympic sport, you know? Sticks. God you can't beat a good game of sticks." He carried on sarcastically.

"Honto?" she inquired both awed and perplexed at the same time. "But they had balls too… and ribbons. Do you need them to play sticks?"

Her brother rolled his eyes, not prepared to get in to the ins and outs of sarcasm just at that moment. "Look I'm joking Kaijou, I'm joking. They were probably doing rhythmic gymnastics. It's kinda like dance and gymnastics and something with objects rolled into one. I know lots of the cheerleaders in the high school used to do it. They were good too, used to compete and everything."

"Do you think I could do rhythmic gymnastics onii-chan?" she desperately wanted to be one of the children she had seen in the gym before. Just think, she could one day be one of the athletic cheerleaders that she too had seen practicing out on the high school football pitch.

"You Kaijou? Well I guess, you'll have to ask dad though, he's the one who has to pay, but I suppose yeah, it'll give you something to do while I'm at football."

SS

"Dad? I can do rhythmic gymnastics at the gym while onii-chan is doing football, yeah?" she was no fool in these matters. She knew the best way to her father to agree was to phrase it so he'd think they'd already discussed it and had come to an agreement and she, like the good girl she was, was just checking. Her father, unfortunately for him, had not cottoned on to the fact that she knew this and merely agreed but telling her that her brother would have to take her in and sign her in for the classes. Now there arose the problem.

Her onii-chan could not be as easily talked around as her father. Which is why it had taken her two weeks to convince him to take her in and even then it was not immediately. She'd had to wait five days on top of that, but the day had finally rolled around and they would be going in tonight.

These thoughts seemed to replay themselves in her memory over a nanosecond of time as she headed over to the mysterious, brown haired boy whom she had not seen before.

She stopped about three feet away from the boy. He was not big she could see, but neither was small or skinny like her. There seemed a leanness about him that made her tentative to approach further. She was petite, but she knew she could handle herself if it came to blows, as it so often did when two members of the opposite sex approached each other around their age. When it came to this boy however, she was not so certain. She could not categorise him as small and weedy or big and slow, and so she was at a loss as how she might have to beat him.

As it transpired, all these thoughts and queries were totally unnecessary.

"Hey." there we are. Not dismissive but not overbearing and on the whole; reasonably cool.

"What do you want?" this blunt answer was rather disappointing for her and so she answered in the only way that made sense to her. With another question.

"Wanna be friends?" this surprised him. He had always been of the opinion that his hostile nature drove any potential friends away. This new development didn't upset him, just surprised him. Who was this girl? He turned, looking over his hunched shoulder in order to get a better view of her. She was very pretty. Her hair looked think and healthy as it glinted in the sunlight. And her eyes… they held his attention more than any of her other attributes. They were a perfect colour match for the green grass beneath them and seemed to sparkle as if they contained a tiny model of the stars inside them.

She got a better view of him as he curled around to see her. His skin was lightly tanned in an attractive gold-brown tint and his eyes were a deep chocolate brown. She was amazed that anyone could have such clear and yet so deep eyes.

"Okay." came his reply, somewhat unexpectedly as they had been taking each other in visually. "What's your name?" he asked, suddenly desiring to know more of this girl.

"Sakura. What's yours?"

"Syaoran." Why he told her his first name he'd never know, when so few of his family actually called him that let alone his school peers but something in him wanted her to have that closeness.

"Cool name. Wanna play?"

"Sure."

Such is the simplicity of relationships as a child, but does it not always follow that the smallest acorn, easy to plant at first, will one day grow into the largest oak tree with roots that go deep and branches that reach far up into the sky?

SSS

"Syaoran! Stop it!"

"It's only a spider and look it's not even a big one. It's far more afraid of you than you are of it." he teased his best friend.

"Shut up! Shut up!" she clamped her hands over her ears in an attempt to drown out his teasings as she ran about twenty metres in the opposite direction again. As before he followed, spider still in hand, determined not to let her get away.

"Spider's gonna eat you Sakura!" he took this opportunity to jump the remaining distance closer to her. It wasn't until he was virtually on top of her that he noticed just how distressed she was. She'd gone dreadfully pale, she trembled as she kept her eyes tight shut, tears trickling silently down her ashen face. Seeing this brought a great wash of remorse sweeping over him. He moved a few metres to the side and unceremoniously deposited the spider in a bush before returning to his best friend of two years.

"Oh God, Sakura… I'm sorry I didn't know, I was just playing, but…but…" he looked like he was about to cry now and so did the only thing he could think of to atone for his foolishness with the arachnid. He tightly wrapped his arms around the quivering Sakura in an attempt to sooth her of her fears. She continued to cry into his chest and he decided to try and apologise again. "I'm so sorry, I mean I knew you were frightened of them but I just thought… I'm sorry." He repeated again feebly.

"It's okay," she said, slightly recovered now. "you weren't to know. I've always been scared of them, I can't really explain it, I think it might be the way they move."

"Still," Syaoran said still filled with guilt "I should have stopped when you told me to."

"I suppose you must think I'm a dreadful cry-baby-girly-girl now." she mumbled, moving away towards the swings of the play park they were in, subtly wiping the tears away with her sleeve.

Syaoran couldn't help but chuckle, "A what?" he asked incredulously "of course I don't think that. You're my best friend. How long have I known you?"

"Be coming up to two years now." Sakura answered, still sounding slightly nasal.

"Yeah and now I know you're frightened of spiders, same way you know that I…" he trailed off as if it was going to cause him physical pain to say it "that I, well…"

"Don't like aeroplanes?" she supplied helpfully with a wry smile on her face.

"Well if you must put it like that then yes. But I don't think you realise just how many aeroplane related deaths there are each year." He broke off looking slightly impatient as she started to laugh. "You don't have to laugh you know." He was clearly getting pissed now.

"But it was funny, you mum offers to take us up to visit Sapporo and I don't think you let go of my hand the entire flight." To Syaoran's chagrin, she continued to laugh but he couldn't resist not joining in for long and had soon joined into her infectious laughter. He was just pleased that she wasn't crying anymore. Even at the tender age of eight, he knew he cared greatly for the small red head and he simply hated seeing her cry, especially when he was the cause of it, as before.

When the laughter had finally dwindled and they stood in relative silence Syaoran asked "So, wanna come round mine?"

"Yeah, alright." She moved over to link arms with him and that's how they walked to Syaoran's house in the waning sunlight.

SSS

When they were twelve years old, on a summer day, August to be precise, the pair were sitting up in the tree house they had built the previous year with the help of Sakura's brother, Toya. The magnificent structure was securely settled in the bows of the sakura tree which grew in the Kinomoto's garden, rather like a large bird's nest and stood about twenty feet proud of the ground. It was reachable only by scaling the oversized metal staples that had been sunk into the trunk of the tree. Actually reaching the top and entering the house was a skill that only Syaoran and Sakura had ever truly mastered, for which they felt very smug when they were held up in their own personal fort.

On this day in August however, they had not felt so very smug. Both young preteens feeling quite miffed by the audacity of the sun to shine quite so bright, had decided that the only fair way to decide who would go back down the tree for snacks was by playing rock, paper, scissors. As Sakura had used paper against Syaoran's rock, it was a grumbling boy who descended the tree down the regular route. He returned a few moments later with two packets of crisps and two apples in hand. After one or two failed attempts to climbs the tree while still carrying his load, Sakura had shouted at him to get a move on and just chuck the bloody things up, which he had done. The first three items had gone up well enough, with Sakura leaning out the gap in the tree house wall to grab what Syaoran threw, but when it came to the last apple Sakura leaned out too far to catch and tumbled.

"Sakura!"

Sakura shrieked just before she landed hard on her side. Syaoran heard a sickening crack when she impacted with the ground and before he had a chance to think was running over to the fallen girl.

"Sakura! Sakura are you alright? Where does it hurt?" he was panicking, "Oh God, Sakura… I don't want you to panic but you've banged you're head, there's blood… Sakura stay with me… onegai…"

Sakura's vision was blurry but she could hear Syaoran.

"Sakura I have to go get help, I promise I'll be back in a second, just try to stay awake and don't move."

"No… no don't go… please don't leave me… I don't want to be alone…" she whimpered pitifully. What could Syaoran do to resist a request like that? She needed help, he knew that and yet she pleaded for him to stay. The angel and devil on his shoulder battled it out brutally but in the end he decided he could not possibly leave her when she asked him to stay. He pulled her as close to his body as possible given her injuries. He suspected the crack he had heard before had been her fragile right wrist breaking and with that combined with her head wound it wasn't long before she could no longer fight the darkness that beckoned her and she fell into unconsciousness.

Her disappearance into oblivion was what had weakened his resolve, and though it pained him to do it, while he could without her knowledge he dashed into the house in order to phone an ambulance. Almost immediately he was back in the garden beside her again, and he didn't leave her side till they got to the hospital and he was allowed to stay with her no longer.

SS

Syaoran looked at the clock. It had gotten late very quickly it seemed to him, although, now he came to think of it must have been around dusk when the ambulance arrived. Toya and Kinomoto-san were in with Sakura now. He had been right; head would and broken wrist. They wanted to 'keep her in for observations' overnight and it had taken the power of the doctor, Fujitaka and Toya to convince him that he shouldn't stay with her all night. Some internal part of him chuckled at the thought of how pleased Sakura would be not to have to finish her summer homework due to a broken writing hand.

Syaoran blamed himself though. It was his stupid fault that she had fallen, same way it was his fault that she'd gotten upset all those years ago. _Baka! Can't you love her without hurting her? Hang on a minute… love? Oh no, oh no no no. there was no way on God's green earth. Was there? But I feel no more for her than I always have, does that mean I've always loved her? Maybe this is brotherly feeling. _

_Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. _

_Shut up!_

"Syaoran," Fujitaka had emerged from the opposite door "Toya and I will be heading off in a minute but we'll wait outside for you to go in and then we could give you a lift." Toya followed after his father, his eyes cast down to the floor. Syaoran would place money on the fact that he had had a go at Sakura about himself and being stupid and by the looks of him; Sakura had put him in his place. Fujitaka must not have had a problem with this judging by the smile that was firmly on his face, the evening's previous worry lines smoothed away.

"Yeah, yeah that would be great." As Syaoran moved to go through the hospital door he was struck be sudden panic. Or maybe not panic as such, more nervous, he could feel the butterflies in his stomach. _Not now you don't. _Syaoran took the initiative and decided to stomp on said butterflies until he had a larger amount of time to reflect on them. _Now is for Sakura._

"Hey you," he was faced with a red haired, smiling girl who was stat cross legged on the hospital bed dressed in plain pale blue hospital pyjamas. _Still looks beautiful. Shut up, I told you, not now. _"my onii-chan hasn't been giving you grief has he?" a worried expression crossing her features. He could see a small line of delicate stitches appearing from just below her hairline and the wrist of her right hand was in a stiff bright pink caste.

"No such worries, you choose the colour?" he said gesturing to her brand new caste with his head.

Sakura looked at him, non-plussed for a moment before it clicked. "Oh yeah," she giggled, "you know I can't help myself when there's anything pink on offer."

"That's true enough." He replied, joining in her laughter. After they had finished an awkward silence followed however, neither knowing quite what to say in this unnatural situation. "I'm so sorry Sakura, I never meant for you to get hurt, it was all my fault, I…"

"Stop Syaoran, just stop. It was an accident, alright? Let's not say anything more of it."

"But…" Syaoran tried to interject rather feebly.

"Please Syaoran? I don't blame you, you shouldn't blame yourself. Besides, I'm fine now aren't I?" she smiled coyly, trying to wheedle a submission out of him. If it had been anyone other than her, she still wouldn't have success after a thousand years; Syaoran didn't really have any friends besides herself and never had the inclination to make any. Most regarded him as sullen and unfriendly and could never understand the bright bubbly young girl's desire to be friends with him. Especially given the fact that the majority of their classmates were uninfluenced to hang out with her given the presence of him always seemed to be looking over her shoulder.

_Gods, he was powerless to her will when she looked at him like that_ "Fine," he conceded "we'll say no more on the subject, but do me one favour?"

"Anything."

He held out the little finger of his left hand, taking into consideration that this wouldn't work right handed given the current incapacity of her own hand, and said to her "Kinomoto Sakura, I promise that I will never hurt you, in any way, again and will kill anyone who ever does." The look on his face as he said this was so serious that it would have made any other preteen girl laugh, but not this one.

"Well then," she said wrapping her little finger around his offered one "things are going to be just great."

He smiled. She smiled. And then they both burst into fits of uncontrollable laughter.

SSS

"Do you know when you'll be coming back?" a devastated Sakura inquired of the teenage boy in a trembling voice.

"Okaa-san wasn't sure, she just said that there was very important business in Hong Kong that we had to go back for." Syaoran's voice seemed hollow. It was killing him inside seeing her so shocked and upset but after pleading for weeks with his mother, she hadn't backed down and now he'd be leaving for Hong Kong in a week. _It's not fair! Mother never had any problem leaving me alone for long periods of time in Tomoeda, why does she care all of a sudden that I come with her?_ Syaoran did know that it might me something to do with his pretentious family but he didn't particularly feel like trying to explain that to Sakura as it would only raise the question 'Why didn't he tell her before?' which would make her more upset.

"Are you going indefinitely?" the small girl squeaked out.

"No… maybe… I really don't know Sakura. I don't think so, even if she wants me to, she can't keep me there forever. I'll be back at the latest by the time you graduate, I'll be eighteen then, she won't be able to make me do anything. Then it'll be just you and me, best friends" _something else _"I promise that I will be back for you, and we can go to Europe like you always wanted." He really didn't know if any of this would be possible but he was saying to keep himself strong just as much as Sakura.

The thirteen year old boy was now sure what he felt for his oldest friend was love. He had been thinking of asking her out before his mother had intruded with her plans and now Syaoran didn't want to tell her, afraid it would only hurt her more once they were separated. Actually, that was more wishful thinking on his behalf as he had absolutely no assurance that Sakura felt the same way about him but he had to dream otherwise he would go mad.

"H-honto?"

"I promise, when I come back everything can be the same again."

SS

"I'm going to miss you." A sobbing Sakura spoke into his shoulder. "Promise that you'll phone and write and text and email and… talk on instant messenger and…"

"All those things Sakura, every day." He was on the verge of tears himself as he held her tight in his arms but was determined not to show weakness in front of his mother. She did not approve of the Li men showing their emotions.

"Li, they're calling at the gate, we have to be off." His okaa-san interjected.

"Hai okaa-san. Bye Sakura-chan, till we see each other again." He said as he gave her one last squeeze.

"Bye Syaoran-kun."

He knew if he looked back he would cry, so he carried on with his mother toward the boarding gate. _I'll be back Sakura. I love you._

SSS

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2 Absent Friends

Chapter 2 – Absent Friends

Chapter 2 – Absent Friends

Published: Sunday 19th October 2008

**Hey it's me again. If you're reading this then that presumably means that I got one reviewer who wanted me to carry on… or I just had way too much free time on my hands. Probably won't be the latter as I feel like I either spend all my time at school or churning out essays nowadays. But still, I would sincerely like to finish this story at least, as I have this deep loathing of people who start fics and then never finish them.**

**If you are reading please do review and oh yes I forgot to say last time: I do not own any of the characters, but the plot is mine. I just feel I should explain that I wanted to get Kero and Yue in and so I had to make them human, therefore Kero is Kero Clow, a school mate of Sakura and Yue is Yue Tsukishiro, the twin brother of Yukito Tsukishiro.**

**Hey it made sense when I thought of it.**

**Hope you enjoy, please read and review. Sayuri xxx**

Kinomoto Sakura had turned sixteen just before the summer holidays, and was one of the most popular girls in school. She had never grown tall but was quite skinny and therefore gave the impression of being some little bird or flower, which was quite fitting, given the cherry blossom was her namesake. Her hair was a brownish red colour and cut short with longer feathery pieces that framed her heart shaped face. She had eyes of a clear jade green, which could either appear bright and sparkly or dark and sultry. Sakura was by no means badly endowed either, and it was a combination of all of these factors that made her such a hit with the male populous of her school.

Most of her friends in Tomoeda were fellow members of the school rhythmic gymnastics team, which also doubled up as the cheerleading squad. Daidouji Tomoyo was the captain of the team and also happened to be Sakura's second cousin and best friend in Tomoeda. Tomoyo had dark wavy hair that fell down to here waist and always seemed to be perfectly in place. She had eyes like Elizabeth Taylor, of a pale violet colour, and pale skin that made her quite beautiful.

Tomoyo was going out with Hiiragizawa Eriol who was not on the rhythmic gymnastics team but might as well have been given the amount of time he spent at their practices. Not that anyone minded of course, Eriol was great fun in an ironic sort of way and was always on hand to give help with homework. Eriol looked amazingly like Tomoyo infact, with his dark hair and pale eyes which were constantly hidden behind his large spectacles.

There were three other girls on the team and two boys. Sakura's favourite of all of these was Clow Kero, a comic guy of her age with sandy blond hair who constantly ate and yet never gained any weight. His particular much-loved food was cake and he could be always relied upon to have some sort of cup cake in his school bag. Yamaziki Takashi was the second boy. He was tall and lanky with short black hair. It had been decided long ago that Takashi was some sort of crazed compulsive liar who had a knack of making up a story to go with any situation. His friends had, on the other hand, just learnt to drown him out when he got like that and now no one really took most of what he said seriously.

The three girls were also tight friends. Mihara Chiharu, Sasaki Rika and Yanagisawa Naoko rarely went anywhere without each other, and Takashi being Chiharu's boyfriend, often went with them.

That left Kero, Eriol, Tomoyo and Sakura to hang around most of the time. One day the quartet had been revising for a big chemistry test in Tomoeda Library when they had bumped into Sakura's brother, Toya, and his two best friends, the twins, Yukito and Yue Tsukishiro. Toya had grown to be the complete opposite of Sakura; tall, dark and bulky. Well, maybe bulky wasn't fair but he was certainly more muscular than she would have been if she were a boy. Yukito and Yue were not identical but looked fairly similar. They were both average height and build, but Yukito had slightly greying hair and large glasses like Eriol while Yue had dyed his longer hair white and wore no glasses. The other difference was of course, that Yukito gave the impression of being perpetually happy and even hyper whereas his brother always skulked, looking gloomy.

This sometimes made Sakura unwilling to talk to Yue, not because of the way he acted, but rather because his mannerisms reminded her so much of her best friend, Li Syaoran. Syaoran had moved back to his native Hong Kong three years before due to 'family business' which he hadn't embellished on at the time. She missed him so much some days that she felt sick, especially nowadays as they seemed to be speaking less and less. The last time she'd received an email from him had been three weeks ago and there had been no other forms of communication since then either. Sakura worried sometimes that he was going to forget her. Forget the promise he made to her.

Not that she could really blame him, they had been children at the time. He probably had a whole new set of friends and priorities which simply did not involve her. Such depressing thoughts made her want to cry so she decided to block them out and concentrate on talking to her onii-chan and his companions with the rest of her friends.

"You and Toya going to be playing in the university football match, Yukito?" Kero loved his football, never missed a match. Which was weird because he didn't enjoy playing it at all. He didn't really enjoy sports in general and had only joined the rhythmic gymnastics team because it seemed like the least hard work when he was commanded by their head of year to 'get out and show some team spirit'.

"Sure am Kero," Yukito answered rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture that he had. "we've been training real hard recently too, I would say we stand a good chance now. Will you be coming Sakura?"

"Oh sorry, nani?" Sakura coloured up due to apparent inattention.

"We'd really love to see you there, wouldn't we guys?... Guys?"

"Whatever, the Kaijou is still a Kaijou no matter where you put her." Toya replied snidely. Yue merely grunted.

"Well I'd love to see you there." Yukito smiled.

"Erm, well sure I guess, you know, to cheer on the team... " she trailed off. Yukito was quite sweet, and if she hadn't known any better she'd have said the nineteen year old was flirting with her.

"We gotta go guys, see you later Kaijou." Toya dragged the other two away leaving his sister fuming behind him.

"I'm putting ten yen on the outcome that Yukito asks Sakura out after the football match." Eriol stated matter-of-factly. "Have I got any takers?"

"I want another ten that it happens the day after." Tomoyo offered.

"No, no way, I agree with Eriol, it'll be at the after party." Kero countered.

"Guys? What are you doing?" Sakura had a sneaking suspicion she already knew what they were doing but she just didn't believe it possible.

"Taking bets on when Yukito will ask you out." Eriol continued in his monotone voice. He didn't seem to feel there was anything amiss about this.

"Why on earth would he possibly ask me out?"

"Oh come on Sakura, open your eyes!" Tomoyo sighed in exasperation, "He obviously has it bad, and I think that you do too."

"Okay, I don't know what planet you guys are living on, but it's certainly not anywhere near earth. I'm going before I catch the insanity, it might be contagious." And with that she rolled her eyes and left the library.

"So the odds are two to one, ten yen on the outcome, it'll either be the day after or at the after party. Final bets? Everyone agreed? Good." They packed up and followed after their friend.

SSS

"Li?" The tall, dark woman entered her son's bedroom without knocking and found him typing at his laptop.

"Yes mother?" the sixteen year old boy asked. He had grown in the past three years and was now five foot ten inches tall and lean due to all the physical training he did. His hair was still a messy and a rich brown colour and his eyes were a corresponding chocolate brown. Despite the fact that he had few friends and persistently frowned any time and in all situations, it didn't stop most of the girls at school chasing him. They either classified him as 'rich', 'tall, dark and handsome', 'dangerous' or all three, which seemingly made him irresistible to the fairer sex. He had never searched out their attentions but it seemed to be what he had become known for in Hong Kong in recent years. Well that and being future head of the most pretentious family in China.

"I have some news that might be of interest to you." She moved over to sit on his bed, and despite the no-doubt sincere affection there was behind it, she still managed to look out of place. "You remember the apartment that Wei kept in Tomoeda?" Syaoran's ears perked up at the mention of his old home town. "Well Wei has decided that he wishes to do some study in Europe and he said that to save the hassle of having to pay someone to maintain the place you could go and stay there now that you're sixteen. You could go to you old school and visit some old friends. Would you like that Li darling?"

Syaoran was speechless. Never in his wildest dreams could a better situation have arisen. _To be able to get away from the clan, back to Tomoeda, to see Sakura again, in my OWN apartment?!_ _Well as good as my own._ He realised that he had left quite a long pause, and if his mother thought he was uncertain she might not let him go. He nodded as best he could while he was so dazed.

"Well okay then, I'll go and finalise the details." She gracefully rose to exit the room.

"When, when would I be going?" he tried to sound casual. He didn't want to appear over eager and hurt her feelings but neither did he want her to worry about him not being happy with the arrangements.

"Not for a while darling, four months or so. We must wait for Wei to make his arrangements first after all." She gently chided.

_Four months?! _It seemed a ridiculously long and short period of time all at once. _Should I write to Sakura and tell her? Or should I leave it as a surprise? If I do write I'm certain that I might give something away but I haven't written in so long._ After much deliberation he finally came to the conclusion that he would write her an email come note type thing. That way he wouldn't risk giving his surprise away.

He moved over to his computer and began to compose;

Dear Sakura, _Or maybe less formal? Nah, stick with dear._

Haven't spoken in a while, how've you been? Looking forward to the summer? It's very hot here. _Don't you think she knows that? You've been writing to her the past three years and it's not like the fact that Hong Kong is like a sauna is a national secret. _You going away anywhere interesting? _Oh damn, she better not ask where I'm going. _Remember to get your summer homework done this year!

Love, _Ooohh, maybe not, scratch that.._

From, Syaoran x _Should I put a kiss? Should I put more kisses? Lets leave it at one for now._

And he hit 'SEND'.

SSS

'YOU HAVE 1 NEW MESSAGE'

Sakura pulled her self over to her computer on her wheely chair when the funny tinkling noise told her she had a message. _Don't over react, I can see you over reacting, don't do it. It might not even be from him, heck it's probably spam. Oh go on then rush over, check what it is, don't pay any attention to me, I'm just your subconscious. _

"New message from t time Syaoran…" she spoke to herself as she logged in and opened the message. She read it once, then decided to read it again.

Dear Sakura, _That's a bit formal don't you think?_

Haven't spoken in a while, how've you been? _How've you been? We haven't spoken in twenty four days exactly and he says 'a while'? _Looking forward to the summer? It's been very hot here. _Well of course it has, you're in Hong Kong. Why are you just making small talk Syaoran? _You going away anywhere interesting? _I told you I was going to South Korea for a weekend with Tomoyo in my last note. _Remember to get your summer homework done this year!

From, _From? Since when have we said 'from'? _Syaoran x _One 'x'? But I always give him three 'x's._

_What could that have been all about? It was a bit brief, especially after three weeks. I suppose this is it then? The long awaited moment of when I get the brush off. _A fat pearly tear trailed silently down her cheek, landing with an imaginary plop on her once broken wrist.

_Pull yourself together Kinomoto! You always knew it was going to happen at some point. Long distance, childhood friendships just don't work. Well then Sakura I think you know what time it is? Time to move on? Yeah, time to move on._

SSS

"That was fantastic Yukito! We totally kicked their arses!" Toya was on a euphoric high due to their landslide win in the football match with the team from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Much out of character, he hadn't stopped whooping and exclaiming things for the past twenty minutes.

"Yeah I know, I don't normally get too psyched about matches but I got a real thrill in that one." he said as they entered the changing room. "Hey there's Yue. Yue man, what did you think? Wasn't Toya's goal just incredible?"

"Yes, it certainly was very impressive. Sakura thought so too."

Yukito's ears perked at this, "Sakura's here? Did she say if she was coming to the after party?"

Yue gave him a look that was hard for his twin to read, "Are you sure about this Yukito? I mean she is nearly four years younger than you."

"What does that matter?" he asked his brother in a defensive tone "It's not like I'm gonna do anything to her yet. I know that she's too young for that but I like talking to her and she makes me laugh."

"You do know that that's not really enough to base a relationship on? I know you've never had the greatest luck with the girls Yuki but –"

"It's nothing to do with that." Yukito wasn't really sure just what his twin was getting at but he knew he didn't like it. "Toya doesn't mind, do you?" he declared as if hoping to prove his point that the union was acceptable.

"I guess not. But if I get word that you've so much a laid a finger on her, I'll burn your hands off and send them to your grandmother in a match box."

"Yes, and I'll help." Yue warned.

"Good God you guys, if she says yes then everything will be great, I promise."

"Better be," Toya continued darkly, "I'd rather she be going out with you than that Chinese gaki though. I got really worried before he left that he was gonna try and make a move on Sakura. He always weirded me out, hanging around all sulky like."

"Hehe, sounds like Yue." Yukito mumbled.

Yue, launching a towel at his brother's head, replied "I heard that you bastard!"

"I meant you to." Yukito countered with a winning smile.

"Come on you guys," Toya butted in, "Yukito's abject failure awaits him."

Yukito got up and left the room, but his brother and best friend lingered behind.

Toya turned to the white haired boy, "Right, ten yen says she turns him down."

A small smile appeared on the normally serious teen's face, "You're on." They shook on it and followed after the bespectacled youth with smirks on their faces.

SSS

"So Sakura, you enjoy the match?" Sakura's friends had abandoned her in the kitchen so they could listen outside the back door and now she was talking to Yukito.

"Yeah, it was really great. I thought your save was amazing, I could never do anything like that." She smiled back. Yukito was wearing a slate grey shirt that suited his eyes, making them glint. He looked very kawaii tonight and she had started having a really enjoyable time once he had shown up. She didn't normally like parties due to how much most people drank, but tonight's encounter was definitely making it worth while.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." He looked down at his drink then back up at her, his eyes just visible through his fringe. "Listen Sakura, I think you're a really incredible person, you're smart and funny and gorgeous and I would be really honoured if you would become my girlfriend." Once he had finished saying this, Yukito wondered if maybe he should have tried to subtly work it into the conversation, or maybe give it a better build up, but what was done was done.

Outside the door of the kitchen which led into the garden, three friends stood crouched around a key hole, listening to the events unravelling inside.

"Ha! I told you. Cough up!" Kero unceremoniously instructed Tomoyo. Tomoyo rolled her eyes and handed over the ten yen, which the two boys presently divided between them, before moving back to listen again.

Meanwhile inside Sakura was gobsmacked. _Did what I think just happened really just happen? Oh my God. Answer you baka! Answer! You want to move on don't you and the guy you like just asked you out. Besides, it's not like you and Syaoran were anything but friends so what are you waiting for? _"Okay."

Yukito let out the breath he had apparently been holding. "Wow! That's really… Thank you Sakura, you won't regret it!" He laughed and pulled her into his arms.

She was so overwhelmed that she laughed too, returning his hug.

Later that night the new couple were sitting on the house's porch steps, holding hands when Yue and Toya walked out onto the wooden decking.

"Oh buggering hell!" Toya exclaimed to everyone's surprise until he procured ten yen from his pocket and handed it to Yue. Yue smirked briefly, but it didn't last and soon he was looking just as reflectful as usual.

"Good luck to the both of you!" Sakura's bitter brother yelled over his shoulder as he dragged Yue back into the house.

The boy and girl left on the porch looked at each other and burst into fits of giggles.

SSS

**So Yukito is going out with Sakura and Sakura thinks she has been brushed off by Syaoran. Wonder what Syaoran will think upon his return to Tomoeda? And what problems do you think will happen once he's back?**

**If you want to find out you really have to review, I've only had one reviewer so far (thanks very much Twilight Kisses) but would love some more.**

**Love Sayuri xxx**

**To be continued… **


	3. Chapter 3 Didn't Expect the Unexpected

Chapter 3 – Didn't Expect the Unexpected

Chapter 3 – Didn't Expect the Unexpected

Published: Wednesday 22nd October 2008

**Hello all! Well the two that I know of lol. Me again, hope you are enjoying it so far.**

**Thank you to MengLong, Unlove You, Twilight Kisses and Skei-Fyr. Sorry if you felt that it has been a little fast paced so far, I had originally hoped that I would only have one prologue type chapter, which would just give snap shots, but as it transpired I ended up with two. Anyway, I'm hoping it'll be a little more mellow from now on, or at least as mellow as drama gets. I was aspiring for at least fifteen chapters so if I don't slow down with the plot I'm in danger of not meeting my target, which would tick me off.**

**I know that Sakura shouldn't go out with Yukito just because she feels upset, but right now, I think I might be painting her as a bit insecure and not the brightest daffodil in the bunch, but that might change ;).**

**I've come up with a new idea, that I will only even begin considering uploading another chapter once I have two new reviews. So there is my price, I'm so cheap, I know. If I start getting more reviews I'll have to up the ante but until then, two will have to do!**

**Hope this one is better, **

**Love Sayuri xxx**

Syaoran was nervous. Well not so much nervous as angsty. This was partially because he was sitting on a plane, not one of his more preferred pass times, but the majority of his angst was due to where that plane was headed.

It was October now and true to form, his mother had made a deal with his old trainer, Wei, that Syaoran could return finally to Tomoeda.

He considered Tomoeda as his home. After all; home is where the heart is. _Oh great start Li, at this rate you'll turn up at school on Monday spouting forth Shakespeare's love sonnets. 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?' I rather think not._ But after three long years of being away from his only true friend it was quite dizzying to think that in only two day's time he would be back at school with her, living round the corner from her and everything would be just as it had been before he left.

_Surely I can't really expect that? I mean I know that I love her but she never loved me back, not that way. We were too young. Whoever expects to fall in love aged twelve? Well except Meilin apparently, bloody annoying wench._

Li Meilin Rae was Syaoran's cousin who he had only really met for the first time back in Hong Kong and not under ideal circumstances either. Not long after his arrival he had been dragged up before the council of elders. For two and a half hours they managed to drone on and on about lineage, honour, duty and all that would be expected from him. It was unbeknownst to Syaoran that he had been the sole heir to the headship Li family since his birth until that day. His mother it seemed had been waiting until he was 'old enough' to learn of his responsibilities but he noticed now that it seemed that she had almost been training him since birth. He had been tutored for as long as he could recall that he was more important than others, that it was his place to lead others, that he had to decide what was best for those who couldn't decide for themselves. _Pretentious. _

He would never understand the bumbling old fools on the council. Probably in the same way he would never understand his mother or the rest of his family. He had been quite adamant at the time that he wanted nothing to do with the matter. Let one of his sister's do the job, they'd be far better at it than him he was sure. When he voiced this opinion he got the first snapshot of just how close minded the elders were.

"There is a reason you are the only heir, Li Xiao Lang. You are the only male in the line of succession; if you refuse it is impossible for a woman to become the leader. We would need to find someone more willing from another branch of the family." He remembered the old man wheezing.

He had believed his opinion of the council had plummeted to an all time low at that point, _misogynistic wankers! If Sakura had heard that she'd have pulled his tongue out. _But thinking about Sakura only made him miss home more so he attempted to refocus his attention on the man he had mentally christened 'His Royal Highness, The Bringer of Bad News'. Syaoran had had no idea just how accurate this name had been until the same man had opened his frail papery lips to speak once again;

"It will also be necessary," wheeze "for you to marry a suitable wife. The council has decided that in your case such a wife must be selected. She is your age, intelligent, well trained and a very pretty young girl and we wish you to marry her in the year after you finish your compulsory education. You may be interested to know that your fiancée is also your cousin, Li Meilin Rae."

"Who?" the young Syaoran had boldly inquired, "I know of no cousin of that name."

"She resides here in Hong Kong, you will get to know her soon enough, she will be living in the Li house from now on and you will train and take your lessons with her until we deem you have achieved a satisfactory standard." The old man then removed his pince-nez from his large aged nose and continued, in a voice that suggested he had simply been giving the weather report moments before, "That will be all for today, we will convene again in one months to discuss your progress in training."

"Hang on a minute! I can't just marry some girl I've never met, and certainly not my cousin, that would be… wrong! And that's apart from all the other stuff." Syaoran was certainly not happy with the hand he had been dealt that day. If what these men said was true then his future had entirely changed. Would he have to break another promise to Sakura? Would he be forced to marry some prissy clan girl? Would he spend the rest of his life, like they had; giving himself airs and graces, worrying about male heirs and pride?

"We're not asking you to 'just marry her'," another man answered in a tone that indicated that he thought he was being kind and understanding while he was in fact being quite the opposite, "you will have many years to get to know her and grow fond of each other. And all your other duties will come naturally, you were born to them."

"But what if I don't grow fond of her? And who wants 'fond' anyway? What about love?" Syaoran had been getting desperate at this point. He simply couldn't marry this girl, no matter how well he got to know her, she wasn't Sakura.

"Love is all very well for the lower classes, but you are virtually royalty, love will do you no good here." The first man finished before departing the large hall.

Syaoran saw now that Meilin actually wasn't that bad. She was clingy, sure, and refused point blank to concede that they weren't engaged but she had been a satisfactory companion in the long years since he took his leave of Japan.

Now however, he just wanted to see Sakura again. When he was here he wasn't going to think about all the problems his name and the council brought. He was going to enjoy school and being with his friend again, just like any other sixteen year old boy.

"This is your captain; please could everyone return to their seats and fasten their seat belts, we are preparing to land in Tokyo. The local time is quarter to three in the afternoon; we hope you all had a pleasurable journey and choose to fly with us again soon."

_Not flipping likely. _Syaoran, who had never unfastened his seat belt, gave it a tug to see if it was as tight as he could get it, gripped hold of the armrests and sat back with his eyes screwed shut. _I hate touchdown._

SSS

"So Sakura, you heard from Li lately? It's been, what now, another three weeks?" Kero was sitting on her bed, or more appropriately, lying on it so his legs rested against her wall and his head lolled of the side. This was not an unusual occurrence for them. Most of their friends had accepted now that despite the incredibly long amount of time Kero spent in his friend's bedroom, there was nothing going on between them. Very few people actually knew though that the reason he had first started living part-time in Sakura's house was because he didn't have much of a family at home.

"Yep." She answered, popping the 'p', "and even then it was just more of the most recent pleasantries. I don't get it Kero. If he wanted to give me the brush off why wouldn't I be getting fewer and fewer emails. The number is staying fairly constant, it's just that you'd get more intimacy on a postcard. And that's one of those cheesy postcards that just says 'wish you were here!'. What do you think it all means?"

The fine haired boy sighed in frustration, he wanted to help his friend but he wasn't the one she needed to ask "I don't know Sakura. Maybe he's going through some sort of phase, or he might have a girlfriend or something. I seem to recall you not spending too much time with us when you and Yukito started going out. Maybe that's what's up with him."

Sakura couldn't put her finger on it, but something about that statement didn't sit well with her. It left her feeling slightly nauseous and frowning.

She was promptly snapped out of it by Kero speaking again. "So you going out with Yukito tonight? How's that working out for you?"

"What's that supposed to mean? Everything's great, same way it was last week and the week before."

"Is he the one then?" Kero joked wiggling his eyebrows.

"Don't be such a baka! No he's not the one. He's just… it's nice being liked. I've never been liked before, not like that. And I have fun with him."

Kero raised one eye brow again in an unapproving manner.

"Pull faces all you like Clow Kero, I know what you think. But I fancy him, we have a great time, he fancies me, if that's not enough to build a teenage relationship on I don't know what is. It's not like I'm looking to marry him or anything."

"And what about other things Kinomoto? You're a smart girl, you know what I'm referring to. He's nineteen years old. What happens when he wants more from you? Are you going to give it to him? He has the power to hurt you Sakura. Don't let him."

"He wouldn't not like that." Her voice was trembling, what was her friend trying to tell her?

Kero sighed again "look, let's not go into it now, but just… watch out for him, okay?"

Unsure of how she should answer this peculiar request, she merely nodded.

"Good," his tone changed as if he was physically going to switch subjects "do you want to come and see 'The Duchess' with us lot later in the week?"

SSS

"There you are Mr Li." The taxi driver said obligingly in his broad accent. "Do you want me to take these through here?"

"No it's fine, I can manage now." Li said before paying the driver and bestowing his with a large tip in thanks for helping him cram all his luggage into the small elevator.

"Thank you very much sir, if ever you need anything you call us and ask for Daisuke. Hope you have a good night sir." He bowed quite unnecessarily to Syaoran and left the flat without turning his back on him.

"I wish they wouldn't do that." Syaoran thought out loud. He'd had quite enough of the bowing and how towing back in Hong Kong, and it reminded him of certain truths that he'd rather forget. He had believed before that other people's aversion to him was because of how generally unfriendly he was. It hadn't been his fault at first. His natural expression always seemed to be a frown though which could put adults and children alike off someone. Plus that and fact that he was awkward and defensive had never really made anyone want to be his friends. Except Sakura though. He was sincerely looking forward to returning to his old school that Monday. He had missed going to school nearly as much as he'd missed his friend. Not that he wasn't certain that he'd had a better education than he would have had if he'd stayed, but there was something dreadfully lonely about having one on one tutorials, no one to share jokes with, no one to talk about the work with. Well there had been Meilin, but she'd never been as clever as Syaoran and never really desired to be so taking about their work had not been her cup of tea.

He moved through to the living room and flopped down, exhausted on to the sofa. _Take that mother, I'm slouching. _Behind his closed eyes he could see Sakura. At least how had imagined Sakura from the recent pictures he had seen. She must be beautiful with her huge green eyes, brown-red hair and fair skin. He had regretted for months after he left that he hadn't said anything to her before he left. But once he was in China, he knew that the only way he could ever tell her would be face to face, and that was useless by that point. Now though, maybe, just maybe, the opportunity may arise, and he was certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that he did still feel the same about her. He would have to wait until Monday till he was sure however that anytime soon would be the right time.

_I should go to bed. Sooner I go to sleep, the sooner it's tomorrow, the sooner it's Monday._

The exhausted young boy, lurched himself off the plush sofa and moved into the master bedroom, repeating his internal mantra over and over in his head.

SSS

Sakura had had a good weekend. Friday evening she had been to a party with Yukito and her onii-chan, which had been a blast. Yukito and Yue had come round the following day, which of course resulted in Toya and Yue sulking in the living room while Yukito and Sakura had made out on the garden terrace. By Sunday she was all socialised out and really had to knuckle down to some homework, which she now felt pride in completing.

The only thing that hadn't been positive was the outcome of the conversation Kero had started with her about Yukito. Not that Kero had started an argument, but rather that it left her feeling somehow paranoid. What reason had she to be? She was sure that Yukito cared for her as she had come to care for him, and that he would never do her any harm. He didn't have it in him. And yet she suddenly found herself overly suspicious of everything about him and their relationship. She certainly didn't want to be, the outcome could never be good and it would be her fault but swiftly she was starting to analyse everything, and that was in a bad way.

For instance, when at the party she had seen her big brother and Yukito held up in a corner, discussing something in hushed, hurried tones, she immediately began to fear the worst. Had she done something wrong? Was Toya telling Yukito off for something? Was there someone else?

Rhetorical question after rhetorical question had entered her head and marched all over her brain in a very disorganised fashion. _This is not of the good. I have to stop this NOW. _Sakura mentally put her foot down, showing her mind exactly who was boss and decided to repress the memory indefinitely.

_Of course, I'm going mad. _She again dismissed any of her queries from the weekend and grabs her roller blades, in order to journey the shortish distance to the high school, in minimal time.

SSS

_Forward or to the sides? _Syaoran was standing in front of the long mirror in his new bedroom, alternately brushing the front part of his hair forward and to the sides of his face, trying to make a decision. Once he had decided on trying for the sides he bent to pick up his school bag and when he came back up his fringe was over his forehead again. _Fine then, forward it is if you're not going to give me any choice in the matter._

As he was leaving the block of flats he felt great big giraffe sized, iron weighted butterflies galloping round his stomach. _Keep it cool. _He reminded himself. _You're just going to meet an old friend, nothing more._

It was virtually no time at all before he was at his new and old school gates, butterflies still present, and he would be required to take the leap and do exactly what he was so excited and nervous about: talk to Sakura.

When he entered the school grounds however, he saw something he did not expect to see. Sakura was standing to the left of the courtyard, beneath the shade of a wall, holding hands with some guy. This guy was not in school uniform and had greying hair and thick glasses. He was admittedly taller than Syaoran, but more willowy and less sturdy looking. _A good gust of wind would knock him right over. Who is this guy? _

Syaoran took a further look at the people the 'couple' were talking to. He knew Sakura's brother of course, and he vaguely recognised the dark haired girl that was with them. The identity of the dark haired boy who was standing so close to the dark girl, was on the other hand a mystery to him.

Just at that moment a boy of about his age with hair that reminded Syaoran of a scare-crow came over to him. "Hey are you okay? You look a little lost." The guy smiled good-naturedly.

"No, I'm fine. Actually, could you tell me who those guys with Sakura are?" He felt a little stupid for asking but he refused to believe his suspicions without solid evidence.

The likelihood of the boy actually being able to help him was slim but he quickly replied with a quirked brow "Oh you know Sakura? Well the girl is Tomoyo, Sakura's cousin, the boy in uniform is Tomoyo's boyfriend Eriol, if you know Sakura you probably know her brother and the other guy is Yukito."

Fearing the worst "Yukito?"

"Her 'boyfriend'." Was that a disapproving look he saw in the blond boy's eye? He certainly hoped so because he would be needing back up when the time came for Syaoran to slam 'Yukito's' pasty face into the ground but that time would come later. Right now Syaoran was having an internal breakdown. _She has a boyfriend? An older college guy boyfriend? A boyfriend her brother APROOVES of? What did you expect you baka? That she'd be sitting here after three flipping years weighting for you? You didn't let her know how you feel. You're only a friend to her and she's beautiful and witty and sharp and… of course she got snapped up._

Syaoran was crushed.

_Don't you dare ruin this for her. Look how happy she looks. Do you really want to try to take that away from her? If you love her you won't interfere._

"Hey, guys!" the blond boy bellowed.

"What? No…" Syaoran stammered, jerked out of his thoughts "No that's really not necessary…"

"Oh that's okay, they won't mind."

_Thanks a bunch fluff ball, make this even more awkward._

"Hey Kero, what do you…" Sakura began to speak when they came closer but she trailed off after observing the blushing boy next to Kero. She moved closer as if she couldn't believe her eyes. "S-Syaoran? Is that you?"

Syaoran was now glad that his fringe covered so much of his face as he knew he must be crimson by now. "Yeah. Hey Sakura."

There was a brief pause when the majority of the party looked slightly non-plussed until Sakura dashed forwards and flung her arms around the now far more grown up friend of her past.

Syaoran was breathless. Both metaphorically and literally. The fact that she was squeezing hard enough to choke was inconsequential however as he self-consciously wrapped his arms about her waist to return the embrace. It had to end all too soon for Syaoran though when she, remembering herself, pulled back.

"Sorry." Came her breathless response.

"That's fine. You can hug me whenever you like." He said, a small smile tugging at his lips as he realised the rest of the group were still standing dumb-struck.

Unfortunately, Yukito seemed the quickest to recover. He moved towards Syaoran and held out his hand; "Hey there, so I guess you're the infamous Li Syaoran, Sakura talks about you a lot." There was no malice in his voice, no ulterior motive or agenda as he continued, "should I watch my step? Any more hugs like that and I might have to worry about losing my girlfriend."

The group laughed for a short while, amused by Yukito's little joke and relieved to break the tension.

Syaoran on the other hand did not particularly feel like laughing at that joke.

SSS

**Sorry if it seems a bit short and stunted, it's been written in loads of different sections as I haven't been able to sit down and write properly because of homework. Hope you like this one, reviews are much appreciated as ever, it's the most fantastic thing to know that people are actually reading AND enjoying your fic. Mind boggling really.**

**To be continued…**


	4. Chapter 4 Seeds of Doubt

Chapter 4 –

Chapter 4 – Seeds of Doubt

Published: Wednesday 29th October 2008

**Hello, hope everyone's had a good week and enjoying half-term if you're in England! Updates haven't been as frequent as I would have liked, but I never seem to have the time to sit down and write, my apologies. **

**Some people have wondered; why Sakura goes out with Yukito if she doesn't really like him. I can only answer to the best of my knowledge, but it seems to me, who is also sixteen and goes to an all girls school (meaning that I hear a lot of girly bitching about boys and things) that girls around my age, tend to not really mind if the guy they go out with is someone they really like. This may be due to the sheer promiscuity of some people I know, and I'm certainly not saying that I or even most people are one of these, but I know girls who need to have a boyfriend as a status symbol or feel that they cannot turn down a bloke. Therefore I'm just saying that she as a fairly naïve young girl is not likely to really know what she wants, and even if she does she might not feel that she is able to get it. However, all characters develop – well nearly all – and Sakura should as well.**

**I hope I explained that okay. Anyhow, desperately attempting to get to the Sakura/Syaoran bits… don't worry there shouldn't be too much more Yukito/Sakura to go!**

**Please read and review, it really means the world, Sayuri xxx**

"So you're staying indefinitely?" They had said good bye to the oldest three and had gone into school not long after. Sakura, who was still reeling slightly from her oldest friend's unexpected appearance, was trying to gather all of the facts in order to not confuse her self further.

"Should be. Well, unless Wei comes back unexpectedly and turfs me out of his flat, which is unlikely." Syaoran had tried to stay close to the red-head after the incidence in the court yard but despite his inner tension attempted to make her laugh at this. He liked to be the one to make her laugh, and he particularly disliked Yukito being the one to make her laugh.

"Well I'm pleased," she smiled broadly at the darker boy "you know which class you'll be in?"

He gave his own proud smile at this, "Eleven-three."

"NANI?!" she jumped up and down, pulling on his arm. "You're in the same class as us again? How did you do that you jammy git?"

"A magician never reveals his secrets." Syaoran jestingly stuck his nose up in the air and left her, dumb struck, to enter the class room.

Sakura seemed ticked at this even as she fought to hold back a giggle at his antics, "Yeah, magician my arse." She muttered following after him.

Syaoran chose a seat behind Sakura and to the left of Eriol, who had Tomoyo sitting in front of him. Kero was directly in front of Sakura and there was an empty seat to his right but Syaoran liked his one better, he got a better view of Sakura from behind.

Syaoran knew why he didn't like Yukito but was still somewhat curious about Kero's apparent dislike for the grey haired boy. It was a slight annoyance to him that it was at that moment their sensei decided to enter the classroom and he was not able to catch the blonde haired boy to ask him about it. _Is it that he likes Sakura too? Couldn't blame the guy, but hell I don't really want any more competition._

Their sensei was a man Syaoran recognised from when he was first at Tomoeda Secondary School. Mr Terada was a very tall man with broad shoulders and red hair. He also had a cheery disposition and ran the best school trips. "Ohayo class. I'm sure you've noticed the new addition to our class and for those of you who don't I'm pleased to introduce Li Syaoran, back from China at last. He will be staying with us indefinitely so get used to him!" Everyone laughed at this, particularly those who knew Li from the olden days and had a good mental image of the moody sullen boy they remembered. Syaoran unfortunately did not help his own cause at this point when, although internally amused, he scowled one of his infamous scowls. This only made the rest of the form laugh harder.

"Okay everyone, I'm going to register you all and then you have to go off to your first periods." Terada bellowed in an attempt to stem the laughter. It was a sign of just how unpopular lessons really were that this method actually worked.

Sakura swivelled in her seat to look at Syaoran "What you got first period?" _It's cute how excited she gets. _

"Erm…" Syaoran pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked down at his brand new timetable "P.E. You?"

"Same!" she clapped her hands in a childlike manner "Hang on, what's you're specialist sport then? You must get assessed in something."

"Fencing… and martial arts of course." He added as an after thought as they both grabbed their bags and headed out of the form room towards P.E. Syaoran was pleased to see that none of her friends followed after them. _Ah, no one has carried on P.E. I see. Oh well, more time I get to spend with Sakura alone. I'm determined to find out what the deal is with this Yukito guy. Sure, she seems happy but there is something there. The elephant in the room shall we say. Yes Elephant prepare to be discovered and thrown unceremoniously from the building. _"So what are you doing, rhythmic gymnastics I suppose?"

"Yeah that too."

"Too? What else are you doing?" Syaoran was intrigued. Rhythmic gymnastics had always been her passion, especially now she was a cheer leader. She'd won awards for heaven's sake. How could she have found something she liked just as much… and not told him? _Oh come along Syaoran, it's not like you were exactly truthful. Yeah, but she didn't mention the Yukito bastard either. And she knows about Meilin I suppose? Ah. Yes, you'd forgotten that hadn't you? Bugger._

"Well I've only really been doing it for a few months, but I've taken up ballet. It was you who gave me the idea actually."

This made Syaoran stop brooding and pay attention.

"Remember, you said you'd been to the Beijing Opera. Well, I was interested and did some research on the internet and ended up reading about ballet. It caught my eye and I decided to try my hand at it. I'm not that bad at it either, hence, I'm doing one of my presentations on ballet." She smiled all the way through this explanation. Syaoran smiled too. He had been worried that this decision had come about because of the boyfriend but he was deeply pleased to find out it was something he had said. _See, she must have been thinking more about you than you thought._

During the lesson Syaoran discovered that there were only five people who had actually decided to continue P.E. into the latter years of there education. Fortunately he recognised all of them from his previous days at the school and had no serious beef with any of them. None of them seemed to be doing the same sport however, and they quickly disbanded in order to work on their own presentations. He knew that Yamazaki Takashi would be out side practicing his football and had a fair idea that one of the other girls with light brown hair was on the running track, improving her sprint time. The remaining three had moved off to opposite ends of the gymnasium. Sakura was over by the back doors perfecting her pirouette and Syaoran had chosen a spot about fifteen metres behind, where he could watch her and attack his punch bag simultaneously. The final girl who he knew to be Mihara Chiharu was waving pom-poms at the corner of his vision, and would have been annoying if his focus hadn't been somewhere else.

_Sakura's so beautiful. And the ballet really brings the best out in her. I love that little leotard too. _Syaoran was enjoying the view of her lithe legs, taut muscles and skin tight costume, but if he didn't get a better grip on what he was doing he was not only going to miss the punch bag and fall over, but also to have a rather embarrassing problem south of his waist band. _Uh oh._

After he had gotten himself back under control the hour finished and they all went back to get changed. Both Sakura and Syaoran realised that their one free period for the day followed P.E. and came before break so they headed off to the common room in order to talk more about their time apart before they had to join the others again. Syaoran had missed this, just them, close as anything. He wished it could be like it was before when they could hold hands or hug without any potentially awkward situations arising. But her display of affection towards him earlier seemed to have demonstrated just how impossible that was, particularly with the issue of Yukito.

_Is that really where all my problems lie though? Sure I don't like the guy, he's too nice to be trusted and he's stolen my girl but even if she wasn't with him does that mean she'd choose me? There was never any suggestion before I left. However, there was that weird expression that the fluff ball had when he mentioned Yukito, what did that mean? No. I won't try and break them up out of spite, but if he's going to hurt her, I can't let that happen. I promised that I wouldn't let that happen. I should talk to her._

They arrived at the common room not two minutes after and went over to choose two of the cushy red seats that ran along the window. A couple of minutes passed where they sat in amicable silence every now and then throwing curious glances at each other.

"So, tell me about Yukito then." Syaoran had mulled over the topic in his head and decided that the best approach was the straight forward approach.

Sakura gave him a funny look for a moment before answering "Well he's at Tomoeda University studying archaeology under my dad, he'll be twenty in February and he has a twin brother called Yue."

She wasn't going to make this easy for him was she? "Well yeah, that's all good to know, but I haven't seen you in three years. Could you try to give me a little bit extra?"

Sakura laughed at this "Erm, okay. Well, he asked me out four months ago, and we spend a lot of time together but that's usually with my brother too. I don't get to see him very often alone. He does spend a lot of time with Toya but they're best friends, what can you expect?"

"Well, if I were going out with you I'd want to spend as much time alone with you as humanly possible." Syaoran mumbled this at the floor, not looking up at her. When he did look up at her however he saw that her laughter had been replaced by one raised quizzical brow. "I'm just saying." He finished, trying to make amends for his blunder.

"Yeah, maybe, but you've never been much of a social butterfly Li." She tossed back, trying to explain away the peculiar nature of hers and Yukito's relationship.

"I know that Kinomoto, but don't you think it's a bit weird? That he's being a bit weird?"

She started to get really defensive at this "No. You're just being paranoid Syaoran. I don't even know where this is all coming from but if this is the why you're going to talk about my boyfriend then you can bloody well keep it buttoned!"

Before Syaoran could say anything she had grabbed her shoulder bag and marched off out of the room.

~S~S~S~

"She's angry with you isn't she?" Kero flopped down next to the brunette boy when he arrived in History. "Come on, spill." It was not a request.

Although something about the fluffy haired boy irritated Syaoran no end, he couldn't help but respect the teen's perceptiveness. And now was his perfect opportunity to find out what the youth had meant that morning. When he answered Kero with simply a very dejected look, Kero seemed to need no further explanation.

"Do you like her?" _He's to the point too._

Syaoran frowned and became slightly defensive "Do you?"

"I asked first. But for the record, no I don't."

Syaoran saw no use in trying to hide anything from ht boy "Yes, I like her. A lot. I have for a long time."

"That's good. You have my blessing."

"Not that I'm not grateful, fluff ball, but what good is your blessing going to do me?" _Where is this guy going with this? _

"It's just that I spend a lot of time with her. More time than Yukito anyway. I've been trying to get her to break up with Yukito for months but she won't have any of it. There's something amiss there though, I mean he's like a boyfriend on a low light."

Li gave Kero a look at this last statement "Nani?"

"It's like, they kiss and hold hands and stuff –"

"Do I have to listen to this?"

Kero carried one heedless of the interruption " – but he doesn't pay any real attention to her. I think he only asked her out because she seemed like the most obvious choice. Sometimes I get the impression that he'd be just as happy if she were a stuffed toy or rag doll. She's just there for show. And she doesn't say anything, she doesn't think there's anything wrong."

"You know something else too. You're just not telling me." Syaoran was determined to get to the bottom of this. He had been absent for the most part but it was his job now to find out what was going on from an eye witness.

"No doubt she's told you how often 'they' all hang out? 'They' being her, Yukito and her brother. Don't quote me on it and you didn't hear it from me but I think that there's something dodgy in that little triangle and that thing doesn't involve our beloved Sakura."

Syaoran couldn't believe what he was hearing "No… you can't mean what I think you mean, Toya would never. I don't know about Yukito and I know Toya never took to me but no. That's impossible."

"You watch them and see." Kero said, impassive as ever.

In an outraged tone "You're not going to say anything?!"

"It's not up to me and if you go barging in there flinging accusations about her brother she won't forgive you either." Kero answered level headedly.

_Sod this. _It was at that moment their History teacher decided to make a belated appearance.

~S~S~S~

Sakura had been incensed all day after hers and Syaoran's spat in the common room. _How dare he barge in after all these years and try to pass judgements on the way I live? Okay, don't you think you're over reacting slightly? BAKA! Obviously not. I mean, what right does he have? He hasn't even been here. All I got from him were pitiful excuses for emails! _

"Sakura!"

_Oh God here he comes again. Yeah, go on take another kick Li!_

"Wait! No actually wait." Syaoran was panting as he caught up with her outside the school gates. "Sakura… I know you're angry with me from before, but I really meant no harm. I just want to be certain that you're happy."

_That's it! _"Happy? Happy?! No you're sticking your ore in! And until you feel like writing proper letters and, and giving a toss!"

"Wait! Stop! Sakura, don't stomp off again!" He yelled as she did exactly that.

~S~S~S~

"Yukito, no, we can't."

"Toya, you've really got to learn to loosen up. As a matter of fact…" Yukito jumped round the back of the sofa in his living room. Toya and he had been sitting inches apart from each other since they had got in early from half day lectures. To begin with they had just being sitting, talking quietly until things began to get more serious and no matter how hard Toya tried to resist he still failed to as Yukito pushed harder. But what did it matter when nobody knew? They were at uni, it was the time of experimentation and self-discovery. And who better to go through that with then their best friend?

It had started when Yukito had moved to take Toya's hand in his. This potentially innocent action had caused Toya to raise his brow but say nothing on the subject. As it transpired however, it had not been innocent, which became apparent when Yukito shifted closer to his friend before placing a feather light kiss on his lips. Toya had almost instantly protested but Yukito knew better. _Toya will just need some persuading. _So when he vaulted over the back of the sofa he came to stand behind Toya, placing firm hands on his broad shoulders, gently kneading all the knots of tension he found there.

"That's not going to work Yuki," Toya moaned "you're supposed to be dating my little sister and I don't want to hurt her. I thought it would be the age difference but oh no, it was going to transpire that my best friend had a crush on me."

Yukito smiled at this, he was not going to deny it, "And you have a crush on me Toya… I know it."

"Uh," he gasped "you're putting words into my mouth." His mind was battling against his current situation and yet physically he made no action to prevent it. It certainly was a pleasurable feeling that he was receiving from Yukito's ministrations, so much so that no matter how much he knew he should not, he could not help but indulge his desires.

Yukito was pleased when Toya reached around, craning his neck to face the bespectacled boy. Smiling Yukito leaned in to reply to the silent request with a full kiss, tongues and all. It was like this the two boys sank down into the sofa cushions, in each others' arms.

~S~S~S~

Sakura went to the door when she heard the bell ring. Her father was held up in his office, working on some project or other and Toya was at Yukito and Yue's house. She had been finishing homework when she heard the bell.

Opening the door, she discovered that it was Syaoran who had been pressing the button so persistently.

"Look," she was still dumb-struck from his appearance to even think of a comeback to his instruction. "All I want you to know is that I have always been worried about you, I only stopped writing lengthily letters because I was afraid that you would work out that I was coming back and I wanted it to be a surprise. Also, I'm not trying to 'stick my ore in', I was just concerned for my friend, which I always will be by the way because I once promised you that I wouldn't let you get hurt. Erm… right, well…bye." After his long prepared speech, looking slightly embarrassed, he turned on his heel and moved briskly away from her door and her house.

Sakura was speechless.

She was also touched at the effort he had taken in coming to explain himself and the sincerity she had seen in his eyes. _Well, I suppose I could forgive him. _

As she closed the door behind her a small smile quirked her lips. This was replaced a few moments later with a slight frown. _Why would Syaoran be so concerned about her relationship with Yukito? Did she truly have a reason to be worried?_

~S~S~S~

**To be continued…**

**Please read and reviewwwwwwwww xxxx**


	5. Chapter 5 Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Chapter 5 – Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Published – Thursday 20th November 2008

**Hey all, if you're still reading I know you're probably really ticked off with me for not updating as often as I should. Believe me; I'm ticked off with me too. I had hoped that it would be no less frequent than once a week, but sod's law got in the way of that, so I sincerely apologise.**

**I did get my two reviews this week (finally) so thank you to Mrs Radcliffe 13 and lilsweety123, but I seriously would like to see more reviews please. Not that ego stroking isn't lovely but criticism and thoughts are appreciated too (remember I have no beta for this) and I are writing this for you, my readers. So yeah, I've had my rant… please read and review but above all enjoy!**

**Sayuri xxx**

"Good Lord Yue, you're worse than the gaki – ow! That hurt kaijou!"

Sakura stuck her nose in the air, flipping her short pale red-brown hair round her face "Serves you right," she quipped in a haughty tone, reclaiming the paper-back book she had launched at her onii-chan after he had slated Syaoran. Needless to say she had hit her target of his spiky dark head. "Do not call him gaki and do not suggest there is anything wrong with his, erm," she had to admit, she was struggling to find a nice way to phrase 'scowliness'. "with his controlled nature."

She had to be fair that his scowliness was one of the things she liked most about him. It was so cute and endearing that she wanted to wrap him up in her arms every time she caught him at it. Although she hated to admit it, Yue was scowling very much like Syaoran right now. Not that he'd ever been 'fun loving and fancy free' but she had always previously described his demeanour as brooding or thoughtful skulking but there was distinct scowling quality today. It worried her somewhat. Ever since her little spat with Syaoran a few days ago, she had been totally paranoid. Over reading everything, noticing things that weren't even there, reacting to the simplest things. So of course in this instance, Yue's sullen mood did not inspire confidence within her heart. She knew she was being silly, taking what Syaoran said on the matter too seriously. He had always been prone to paranoia and defensiveness; he would be the one of them to see danger where there was none. But… But she couldn't help but believe him on this account. She just wished she knew what it was she had to know.

"I shall call him whatever I please and not fear abuse from a five foot nothing stick insect in my own home." Toya retorted, knowing full well that this would earn him further bashings with the two inch thick novel, but not caring. It was worth the punishment just to say it too her. Not that he was being spiteful. In fact, he had laid off the insults for some days now and only ever made them in jest if he did decide to poke fun at her. He was not going to deny that he was attracted to his best friend. He was and even he couldn't lie to himself about something like that. He hoped that was all it was though. A college fling, an experiment. Not because he really had a problem being gay, or that he thought his father wouldn't accept it, and he knew his mother certainly would have done but he thought that seeing as this situation had started the best thing would be for them both to get it out of their systems and never mention it again. The guilt he felt inside was ripping at his guts as if a cheese grater was being constantly applied there and he didn't want to do his sister any harm. He had always said he would look after her, keep her out of harm's way, he had promised it to his mother and now look what he was doing. He would not allow himself to be the one to hurt her. Because it would hurt her. Not that he really thought that she loved Yukito, but to find out her first boyfriend had turned out to be gay? It would break her confidence and he didn't want to think what might happen to her then. She'd certainly never speak to him again, it was the ultimate betrayal. So he chose not to confront the problem at this moment in time. Out of sight, out of mind.

Yukito wrapped his arm around Sakura's narrow shoulders, preventing her from jumping at her brother and trying not to think he would farther trade her in for a 'broader' model. "So what do you guys want to do later? We could go to the flicks or just hang. Any suggestions, please, I throw it to the floor." He was being eccentric again, in typical Yukito style. Sakura liked that. No matter how upset she was, Yukito always found a way to make her laugh with his odd personality. It was a definite virtue on his behalf.

"Yeah let's do that." Yue replied absent mindedly in his soft, deep tone.

"That doesn't answer the question, my dearest twin." Yukito said, giving a wink to Sakura and Toya. He prided himself on knowing his brother better than anyone, and always knew he could make a terrific joke out of Yue's social faux pass. He generally believed it said that his brother lacked any real social skills, but he could always be relied upon for light entertainment on an autumn evening such as this. "So Toya, what do you think?" Yukito's eyes came to rest on the dark youth.

_Gods he's beautiful. If I thought he would… but no. It's not in his nature, and besides he knows every time he gives in that he's betraying Sakura. He does love her, even if he is too weak to keep her from harm. That's one of the things I love most about him. Do I really love him? Yes, I dare say I do. If that is the truth, what am I to do about Sakura? I don't want to hurt her anymore than Toya does; I've come to care for her as if she were my own sister. I asked her out in the first place because she was the only girl I felt remotely close to. Oh god Yukito, this is such a mess._

"Nani?" he was surprised that Yukito would address him with such a piercing stare when both his brother and Sakura were there. Yue was shrewd and it did not bode well for Yukito to be reckless around him with the displays of affection or desire. "Oh, I think we should go to the pictures," that was definitely the safest option, what harm could they all do in silence in a dark room? "I'm in the mood for a flick."

Yukito smiled at this. He knew exactly what Toya's train of thought was. _I bet when we get there he'll offer to buy the tickets and then there will be mysteriously no room together and he'll have to go off and sit somewhere with Yue. He is so predictable. _"That sounds good, and maybe I could stop over afterward Toya? I know Yue can't stay, he has an English translation waiting for him at home, but that doesn't mean I should miss out on all the fun." _Sly Yuki, very sly._

"Erm," Toya's face coloured up as he mentally scrabbled around for an answer that would suit everyone and not weigh too heavily on his conscience, however it would not come and in his desperation Toya's thoughts began to take a different track. _Go on, who would it harm? Does what I feel for him mean nothing? _"go on then, but there's no way you're sleeping in my sister's room. You have to come in with me."

"No complaints here." Yukito said with a broad grin crossing his pale face. He was dreadfully happy with the outcome of his self-invitation.

Just as they had all got up to leave the room, Yukito let his hand brush against Toya's as they moved past each other in the door way. "Thank you Toya," Yukito whispered in a soft voice so only the tall boy would hear, "thank you."

~S~S~S~

It wasn't until the quartet were on the bus returning to Sakura and Toya's house that Sakura actually let her mind wander to her previous thoughts regarding her intended wariness around her boyfriend. Up until that point she hadn't really given her mind a chance to give serious thought to the matter. She had occupied herself kissing Yukito on the bus into town, become engrossed in the film while they were there and so this was the first real lull the evening had to offer. This could be explained by the fact that they had rather exhausted themselves running for the last bus and the calming quality possessed by a cold dark winter's night.

She was still massively perplexed by Syaoran's words. He had seemed so concerned and it had melted her heart. You very rarely got the absolute unfettered truth out of Syaoran and she had reason to believe that this was one of these occasions.

She did remember that promise that he had made to her all those years ago when she was in hospital that night. Of course she had grown up like everyone else had and knew that to expect Syaoran to keep a promise made when he was young and impulsive not to mention naïve. She would hate to be held to a promise like that. Who could possibly make any sensible decision in reference to their lives before they had hardly even lived? It reminded her how people in arranged marriages must feel. She would wish that on anybody. At the best one could be content, never anything more, never truly happy, and not even in a position to chase said happiness. It was also quite like geishas. Or at least she thought it was. After a short argument in her tutorial class as to whether geishas would make up a part of Japanese culture, she often found herself wishing that she could be beautiful and graceful like the young girls you saw in the cinema nowadays when playing geishas. Particularly Gong Li, she had been very good. But still, Sakura in her non-graceful way did not think she could ever wish to have to do any of the other things that a geisha or someone in an arranged marriage would have to do.

Could Syaoran be worried that Yukito was going to try and pressure her physically? She was not so stupid as to think that the age difference between her and Yukito would not become a problem with time. Yukito was nearly twenty and at university, if he were dating anyone else he would likely be in a full physical relationship by now. _I mean, I know I said I wasn't ready, and he did agree at the time but that doesn't mean he has to be happy about it. What if I'm not enough for him? _If she was quite honest, she had been worried about that from the beginning. No-one had ever liked her like that before and she believed most just saw her as a bit of a ladette; good for a laugh but no qualities you'd be interested in having in a girlfriend. Hadn't Yukito seen through that though? He had asked her out, so he must be that bit interested in her, right?

She didn't want to think that he wasn't. If he wasn't, what kind of romantic future could she possibly have? She wanted great love. Romeo and Juliet love. Not that she really thought Yukito was that and not that she really thought that she would ever get it – and certainly not while she still had lots of good years left – but she wanted it none the less. So she at least had to believe that she might be the tiniest bit attractive to the male gender.

Maybe if she just tried harder with their relationship, then things would sort themselves out. Syaoran would have no reason to worry about her getting hurt, because they'd be happy, and she wouldn't have to worry any more either.

Would doing that mean sex though? Or any sort of sexual activity really. She and Yukito had not gone far. Not even to second base as a matter of fact and perhaps that was the sacrifice she had to make to lay Syaoran's, and consequently her own fears to rest. Which she really needed right now. Her head was starting to hurt.

When Yue had left them at his stop, still looking as sullen as ever, as if only earlier he had been told that Christmas had been cancelled, the rest of the journey home went by quite quickly. It seemed only a few short minutes before the disembarked the long bus and walked the few extra metres to their house. No-one really had the energy or inclination to start up conversation. Yukito went ahead to walk next to his best friend and Sakura's brother, leaving her to dawdle along behind, dragging her feet like a child. Once they got in all she received from either of them was a muttered, yawn-infected good-night and a half-hearted wave from Yukito. Any significance she might have gleaned from this had she read into it were missed as she too was tired and rather still dwelling on her previous thoughts.

The other two locked themselves in Toya's room down the hall way and as she trecked doggedly up the stairs and seeing as she didn't get intercepted by her father at any point, she presumed that he had already turned in for the night.

Shitting her own bedroom door behind her, Sakura leaned back on the door frame. Her head was seriously pounding now and she really felt in desperate need of a hug. _I wish Syaoran were here. _In no time at all she had gotten mindlessly ready for bed and was switching the lights off. She cast a brief thought down the hall to her brother and boyfriend and to her surprise Syaoran too popped into her head. Not that this was an unpleasant surprise however, and she smiled as she mentally said goodnight to him. In bed, she screwed her eyes tight shut against her tension headache and forced herself to clear the rabble that was the thoughts in her brain. With her eyes shut she felt as if she was blocking out all her external problems. _Out of sight, out of mind. _

~S~S~S~

Syaoran stirred from a deep and peaceful sleep.

He felt warm and comfortable in his bed, far more so than when he got into it in fact. He tried to open his eyes but it felt as if someone had stuck this eye lashes together and so he had to settle for squinting into the darkness of the room. Sakura had been the focus of his thoughts since he had turned to leave her house until he finally shut his eyes in sleep. It couldn't be late for he had gone to bed reasonably early and now he was awake.

That did not suit him at all. He rolled over under the bedclothes, closing his eyes once more. However, his eyes snapped wide open when his right arm fell over something soft and warm just a foot away from him. He quickly discovered it to be a person, a girl to be precise and that girl had short, ruffled light brown hair and green eyes that shone like large murky crystal balls in the dark of his bedroom. She had been lying on her stomach also but rolled over as his arm disturbed her, bringing her body closer to his, their faces and hand span breadth apart.

Syaoran was truly shocked as he stammered "S-s-sakura… what, how…?" How had this possibly happened? Was it a dream? Everything was so tangible; her warmth, her scent, the gentle curves of her body…

Sakura did not answer him but reached up to brush her finger tips over his lips in a feather light touch, silencing his ramblings. Electric currents shot out from where her skin met his, pleasurable waves of energy radiating out through his whole body from that one point of contact. Pleasurable waves that were causing him all sorts of reactions. Reactions that would not be at all convenient if Sakura were to notice them. He had absolutely no idea how these circumstances had come about but there was no way that he was complaining about them now, he was going to make the most of them.

"Don't say anything, we haven't got long." She murmured cryptically.

" 'we haven't got long…?' " Syaoran repeated, totally bewildered. What was going on? _Please say it's not just a dream._

"Syaoran, there are some things some people just aren't willing to really accept," completely surprising Syaoran she placed a gentle kiss on his lips, followed by one on his chin and then more, peppered up his jaw. Syaoran's brain wanted to question the frustrating enigmaticness of her statements once more but his body did not seem to be willing to cooperate in the slightest and he let out a strangled groan as she continued her ministrations. "and there are the people who have to do something about it, but those people can't just take control of everyone else's lives," she uttered this while all the while lightly dusting his face with her soft kisses. "they also have to take action in their own lives."

He knew at this point that this had to be a dream. No way could Sakura come out with something so insightful regarding herself if this were real life. _Don't get me wrong, in know she's amazingly insightful when it comes to other people but when it's something about her? She wouldn't see it if it ran straight up to her and tweaked her nose. _Maybe that's why he loved her so much. Either that or what she was doing with her tongue, or at least what his mind imagined she could do with her tongue. The torture she was subjecting her to was absolutely exquisite. His skin burned as if scorched by searing white hot flame as she trailed her tongue languidly down his neck and between the little dip at the centre of his collar bones.

As much as he was enjoying this treatment he new it was a dream and wanted to make the most of it before he woke up, as he knew he soon would. Tired of putting up with her teasing, he dragged her up to face him by her shoulders and pulled her into a passionate, demanding kiss, their tongues duelling for dominance. Wanting, needing to feel her closer to him, he moved his hands from her shoulders in order to wrap his arms tightly about her, trapping her dream self with him. When his arms went to close around her they collapsed straight in, hitting his chest, which was panting heavily.

He was alone.

His hand jumped up to touch his lips as she had done but he could find no evidence to suggest that she had ever kissed him. The wrinkles in his sheets were entirely of his making as he had writhed around under the covers. "It's alright, I understand." He whispered into the air, as if if he said it quickly she might still hear him. The phantom her at least.

He understood what it was he wanted. He wanted to reveal whatever secret there was concerning Yukito and in doing so claim Sakura for himself. _Easier said than done mate._ But should he actively try to work against Sakura's boyfriend? Wasn't that a bit petty? _Oh hell! _

_Is she worth it? Will I hurt her by doing this?_

_To the first, absolutely yes. To the second, I don't know._

That thought danced around his head for quite some time, before, as far from finding peaceful sleep as he possibly could be and yet exhausted by his internal struggle whether to be or not to be and at the same time still feeling the after effects of his night time sescapades, he got up and went to research on his laptop.

He worked for so long that his eyes grew dry and began to cross as he attempted to focus on the thin lines of scrawling black markings that the educated world called writing. Before long he was having difficulty seeing anything at all due to his weary eyes and sleep would soon overcome him, finally. At least in this utterly drained form of sleep he knew he would not have any enjoyable yet pesky dreams to confuse him as he tried to decide on a course of action. For the time being, out of sight, out of mind.

~S~S~S~

Yukito did not have a lecture that morning and so offered to escort Sakura to school seeing as he was going to have to go home at some point anyway. Sakura was surprised but not wholly displeased by the fact that Yukito paid her little physical attention since they had met up in her dining room. This was not just because she very rarely felt like going near anyone in the morning, nor that she had been running slightly behind schedule as usual, but I her mind she had come to associate Yukito with negative thoughts or images. _Damned Syaoran, putting things in her head. _

She didn't want to be paranoid, but given the current climate she had little other choice. It was annoying her that she did not know what it was that made Syaoran so worried for her wellbeing. She hated being kept in the dark after all. Ever since she was young she had been very inquisitive, and she probably would take that particular trait to he grave.

The journey was made in nigh on comfortable silence, Yukito on his bike and Sakura on her blades, and before either of them knew it they had arrived at the high school gates.

"So, will I be seeing you later?" Sakura asked, a small, marginally forced smile on her lips.

"Maybe," Yukito replied distractedly "I don't know. Will Toya be there?" he seemed jumpy, like the snow rabbit Kero so often compared him to.

Sakura was somewhat unsurprised by his response, he often came to theirs to see Toya first and Sakura second, but it was the tone of his query. If she didn't know better she'd say he was… guilty?

"Well, I'm not sure, erm,"

"Hey Sakura!" it was Tomoyo. Closely followed by Kero and Eriol and less closely followed by Syaoran. "Wow! You've got two minutes forty six seconds till we have to be in the form room, which must be a record for you." She joked as she reached them, wangling one finger at her wrist watch in a patronising manner. Sakura didn't mind this however, she was glad of the reprieve from her exchange with Yukito.

"Ha-ha very funny." She quipped in return, "Hey you guys, Syaoran." She looked and smiled at everyone in turn, her eyes and smile lingering far longer on her oldest friend.

Syaoran coloured rapidly under her gaze as he was struck not only by her beauty but also by the memory of his minds adventures last night. He could not look at her for more than three seconds without his eyes fixing on her lips. The rosy pink lips that he wanted to kiss so badly, but he was still so uncertain whether or not he should follow the path his dream Sakura had suggested. Looking at her for too long would sway his decision in a way that might not be beneficial to any one anyone but himself.

Kero had his own eyes fixed upon Syaoran, whom he was finding the reactions of most amusing. He could see every thought play out across Syaoran's mind as if someone were typing then on to an auto-queue and the blond boy was finding it difficult to keep the wry smile from his face. Secretly he was cheering for the brunette pair. Syaoran had to be better than Yukito no matter what happened. Kero thought he had a sneaking suspicion what exactly it was that made his suspicions so valid. He didn't want to believe it though. It would shatter everything that he still loved in the world; that Sakura could be happy and that Toya would never betray his sister. What Kero was undecided on was whether he should tell his ideas to his best friend. Was there a chance that it would all blow over? Or was there the chance that Syaoran would save her, without nearly as many tears ever having to be spilt? Kero sincerely hoped that it was the latter.

Eriol noticed this whole interaction, as he did with most things and was quite intrigued by it. He had had no idea that Syaoran's feelings had been so strong, nor that Kero was so better informed than either he or Tomoyo. Part of him was annoyed about this, but what should he have expected when Kero spent virtually all the time he wasn't at school in her house. He had had suspicions regarding Kero and Sakura at one point, well Kero at least, but those were quickly quashed once he had gotten to know the pair better. Eriol was now aware of the looks Yukito was receiving from the group of younger boys. _Well, it would be rude not to join in._ and so he joined in, assisting Syaoran and Kero with their matching evils.

It was not normal that Yukito was aware of any strange looks that he was on the receiving end of but day his angstiness changed that. He had been paranoid since he left the warm, safe confines of his lover and best friend's room that morning. He felt like he was watching over his shoulder the whole time, his guilt towards Sakura magnifying tenfold since they had committed the final act of consummating their relationship. He felt sick with himself that they had done it while Sakura was in the house, not ten metres away, but he also could not bring himself to regret the events of last night.

The sweet caresses, the whispered words of devotion, bittersweet tears spilt on to the other's skin… before the enchantment of the night was broken, and the harsh reality returned with an almighty crash. And now he was left only with his guilt to follow him around, taunting him.

Kero was giving him x-ray vision looks as if he was reading his very mind, but that wasn't what unnerved him the most. It was the look he was getting from Syaoran it was accusatory, hateful, and suspicious all at once. Or at least it seemed that way to Yukito. After a few moments under their intense gazes he could bare the pressure no longer and quickly bidding the group a vague farewell he left hastily, his face downcast.

"Well that wasn't weird at all." Eriol offered sarcastically, breaking a potential confused silence. Eriol was always good for that sort of thing.

Tomoyo, used to this from him, turned her face away from the retreating Yukito and gave her boyfriend a warm smile. "Yeah it was a bit peculiar. I wonder what could have possibly gotten into him." She responded with a puzzled look.

"Oh I shouldn't worry if I were you," Sakura said, seemingly unconcerned, "he's been like that all morning." Syaoran was pleased by her dismissivness of the occurrence, did his mean that they were growing apart? But he couldn't hope too soon. He hated to admit it but knowing Sakura as well as he did he knew he was most likely to bet money on the fact that she was less perplexed by Yukito because she knew he would soon return to normal, rather than her affections dwindling.

Still, willing to pick up the opportunity, Syaoran placed his arm around the brunette girl's narrow shoulders, guiding her toward the school building (and far away from Yukito). "Come on then," he chivvied "Sakura doesn't want to lose her two minute head start, does she? Well one minute now but you know what I mean." Kero gave him a look. A look that said 'I know exactly what you're doing.' Luckily it was followed by a smile that added 'And I approve.' Syaoran smiled back.

As Yukito cycled briskly away from the school, he was attacked by conflicting images of last night and this morning. The events before sunrise had him so confused. Before yesterday whatever he had had with Toya was lust, a fling, an experiment, now on the other hand… things felt entirely different. It wasn't supposed to be this way though, their plan had gone wrong. The meaningless sex had been not so meaningless. And it had brought more implications than was convenient for either of them.

They were also in a very awkward position in regards to Sakura. Life certainly would not be easy from now on. He didn't realise it, but he had glanced back to look at the shrinking school gate he had just come from and his eyes had become fixed. Giving himself an internal shake, he turned forward again and focused on the road – and more importantly where he was going – repeating to himself his own personal mantra; out of sight, out of mind.

~S~S~S~

**Soz it took a bare long time to update, but please don't give up on me! I think I've been suffering from writers block :S **

**Please give me my two reviews and forgive me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**__


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